Improvement in billiard-cushions



F. HELD & m. B ENSINGER.

Billiard-Cushion.

'N 161 880 Patented Apri|l3,1875.

k All/A UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIoE.-

FREDERICK E. HELD AND MOSES BENSINGER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN BlLLlARD-CUSHIONS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. l 6] ,880, dated April 13, 1875; application filed December 21, 1874.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, FREDERICK E. HELD and MosEs BENSINGER, of Chicago, in the county of (look and State of Illinois, have invented an Improvement in Billiard-Cushions, of which the following is a specification Our invention relates to an improvement in billiard-table cushions of that class wherein a narrow and thin steel ribbon is run through the rubber cushion to make it more elastic and lively, said ribbon being secured to a spring to compensate for the varying tension caused by difference of temperature, and its tension being changed on the outside edge of the cushion-frame when it is desired to make the cushion harder or softer; and it consists in the use of a leaf-spring at one end, and spiral springs at both ends of the ribbon to maintain an equal tension under variations of temperature, and ascrew for adjhstin g the tension of the strip accessible from the outside of the table.

Figure l is a horizontal section of acushion at the plane of the ribbon. Fig. 2 is a crosssection at m an Figs. 3 and 4 show in elevation the devices at the ends of the ribbon, and the cushion-rail in cross-section.

Like letters refer to like parts in the several figures.

In the drawing, A represents a portion of the cushion-frame of a billiard-table, to the up per inner edge of which the cushion-rail B is secured, and to it, in turn, is secured the beveled rubber cushion 0. through which a thin and narrow steel ribbon, a, is run. Near the corner at one end it is pinned in a slot in the head of a screw-bolt, b, which passes through a forked guide-plate, 0, let into the beveled end of the cushion-rail. Between the guideplate and the nut b a strong spiral spring, d, is sleeved on the bolt, and aleaf-spring, c, has one end hooked into a hole at the extremity of the bolt, while the other end is screwed into The purpose of the back of the cushion-rail.

leaf-sprin g is to assist the spiral spring in keeping an equal tension on the ribbon. At the other end of the ribbon a spiral spring, 41, is secured thereto by a wire hook. At the outer end of the spring a nut, f,is soldered or welded thereto. An ornamental socket-headed screw,

g, is inserted through a diagonal hole in the table-cushion frame, and tapped into the nut f.

When the table is set up and the cushions in place the tension of the ribbon should be adjusted as nearly as possible by the nut on the bolt 1), after which any change of tension in the said ribbon can be made by screwing in or out the screw g on the outside of the cushion-frame.

The springs keep an equal tension on the steel ribbon under the changes of its length from varying tempreatures.

We are aware that a wire has before been used for the same purpose, with an attachment to change its tension from the outside of the table, and that a metallic rlbbon has been used, with one end attached to a springtorpreserving its tension under varying temperatures, and we'do hereby disclaim the same as our invention but That we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of the metallic ribbon at, inserted in a billiard-table cushion, having one end attached to a bolt, 1), which passes through a guide-plate, c, and has a nut, 11, spiral spring (I, and leaf-spring e, for preserving an equal tension on the ribbon, and the other end attached to a spiral spring, 01, having a nut, f, and screw 9 inserted through the table-cushion frame for changing the tension of the ribbon, substantially as described and shown.

FREDERICK E. HELD. MOSES BENSINGER.

WVitnesses:

THOS. J. WooncocK, SIMON WEIs. 

